Super Paper Mario: Without Her Count
by Angel of Nerdiness
Summary: One year has past since the great sacrifice of the once evil mastermind, Count Bleck, and the end of the great prophecy. Now, Bleck's former minions live in peace in Flipside, except for one little secretary who can't stop grieving, lamenting about his death, the death of her only love. A/N: This is a Super Paper Mario story, starring Nastasia, Mimi, and O'Chunks


It was a dark night in Flipside, the streets only illuminated by street lights and the shine of the pure hears in their heart pillars, glimmering beauties spreading their powers through out the town. After the chaos heart's destruction and the end of the ancient prophecy, the residents of flipside couldn't be happier….except one new girl in town.

She was a short, full figured girl, always sporting thick pants with a white vest with a pearl in the center, her face a dark blue color along with her red, pointy glasses and pinkish lips. Her hair a shade of pink put in a bun at the top, and every night she'd walk the empty streets of Flipside alone, frowning with her head knelt downward slightly, and her name was Nastasia.

Not many people knew Nastasia well, she was one of the minions of Count Bleck, a once evil man bent on destroying the universe, but was stopped by hero of legend Mario and reunited with his love Lady Timpani, who was in the form of a pixel butterfly named "Tippi". But soon after being reunited, they were forced to sacrifice themselves to save the world, and to finally be together again, his last wish to his minions was to make the world a happy place free of war, but ever since the Count's apparent death, the little secretary has not been the same.

Although she was a generally shy girl, she spoke a lot less since then, and never left her tiny home in Flipside, but on many nights, some citizens have seen her walking through the streets carrying a rose, some would say hello, and she would say hello back with a somewhat forced smile then proceeded onward, nobody ever saw where she went or why she went there every night, but this night was different.

As usual Nastasia was carrying a single rose, a bright red beauty, she looked at it while she walked down the street, pulling on the petals slowly, a tear rolled down her eye as she looked at it.

She then stopped in front of the nearest heart pillar on the east side of town, she stopped and looked up at the heart piece; it glowed brightly, so bright it hurt Nastasia's eyes after mere seconds.

She pushed up her glasses and rubbed her eyes recovering from the brightness; then she placed the rose down in front of the heart pillar.

She stepped back and knelt her head more shutting her eyes.

"Yeah…so, um….hey Count." She said quietly looking back up at the heart pillar.

"I hope you've seen or at least heard me." She said. "The Pure hearts connected to you and Timpani, so I assume you can hear me." She said.

She started to sob slightly, wiping the tears under her glasses, "So….it's been one year…since….well, yeah." She said sobbing more. "I know you did it for all of us and I understand it, but…..I just wish you….you….at least said goodbye."

"Sure I was unconscious, but at least saying it to me then would've been…thoughtful….but you…you…."

Nastasia then burst into tears kneeling on her knees; hands over eyes

"I'm sorry Count!" She yelled through her sobs. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's just….I owe everything to you! You found me and released me form that cage, and I promised I would work under you, no matter what. All these years, I never had the guts to tell how I really feel, and when you disappeared….I felt like I lost a big part of myself. I even risked my life for you….and I didn't even get a good bye."

She went back to crying into her hands, tears falling to the ground in front of her, after a couple minutes she moved her hands off her face, wiped her tears,and walked off still sobbing and sniffling, she was so upset she didn't notice a small figure watching her the whole time, it was Mimi, a close friend to Nastasia.

"Oh Nassy." She said upset.

The next morning, Nastasia woke up to the sound of her alarm, she slammed her hand on it wanting to sleep in.

"Why get up?" She said quietly. "What's there to wake up to?" She said rolling over.

Before she went back to sleep, there was a knock at her door, she groaned.

"Can't you see I'm trying to sleep eternally?" She said angrily getting up and putting her glasses on.

Nastasia was never a morning girl. Her usually neat hair now all over the place; her bangs nearly covering her eyes, she always slouched in the morning and was always at her crankiest in the morning.

She walked over to the door, opened it, and saw it was Mimi

"Hi Nassy!" Mimi said happily hugging her blue skinned friend. "I came over for a surprise visit. So, Surprise!"

Nastasia pushed her back, "Listen Mimi, while I'm obliged you came for a visit, I'm not really up to it today, K?" She said trying to sound sincere.

"Listen Nassy, i know what yesterday was, and i decided I'd cheer you up, make you remember the good times you had since then." Mimi said innocently, unknown of Nastasia's past. She knew Mimi didn't mean anything by it, only The Count and Mario knew that story.

Before Nastasia met the Count, she was actually a bat trapped in a cave for years. Her lonely life interrupted when Count Bleck found and released her while he in search for Timpani. She turned into the form she has today and promised eternal loyalty to the Count, and soon after, she fell in love with him.

"Listen Mimi, I just really want to be alone for a while, K?" She asked nicely.

"Well, ok. But if you change your mind, me and O'Chunks are going to the Plaza. Later." She said skipping away.

Nastasia smiled weakly at her green skinned friend and walked back into her home.

As she walked up the stairs to her bedroom slowly, she mulled over going with Mimi and O' Chunks.

"What would The Count want me to do?" She said looking upward.

She stopped for a second.

"He'd want me to keep working." She said walking back into her room.

She laid back down and put her glasses on the table.

"And here's my new agenda: sleep." She said covering herself.

She shut her eyes and tried to go to sleep, when a new thought entered her head.

"What would the new Count tell me?" she thought.

She knew The Count changed back to his original outlook on life before he disappeared, the once depressed, dark Count today is probably a happy, care free Count, and what would he say to her?

She sat up and thought about it hard for a few minutes.

"Would he let me go? Let me have fun with my friends? Would he?"

She really thought about it hard, any normal person would make their own choice, but it wasn't how Nastasia worked, but she knew she'd have to make her own decisions sooner or later, like a little girl becoming a young, independent, woman.

"Maybe….maybe I will go." She said getting up smiling weakly.

"But…would he be ok with it?" She said sitting back down.

She put her hands over her head and grunted loudly

"I need an answer." She said angrily.

She needed to calm down; she took a deep breath

"I need to learn how to make my own decisions, shape my own life." She said.

"Cause that's how it's going to go from now on." She said quietly.

"Ya know what, I'll go." She said putting her glasses on. "It's my time to have fun. But I hope I can catch up with Mimi and O' Chunks." She said getting up.

Nastasia always made sure her look was perfect, hair straight, clothes clean, teeth brushed, everything, and she soon was able to get ready super fast and within five minutes she was ready, walking downstairs smiling.

She grabbed her brown over coat and soon left.

While she was walking down the street, she noticed a lot of people were out, much different than when she was usually out, and it kind freaked her out. Being shy, she didn't like large crowds too much, but she was still happy to go out with her friends, so she still had a weak smile passing through the crowds.

Soon she finally got to the Plaza, it was a big section of town made up of a lot different shops, she wondered where O' Chunks were as she walked through the plaza, she then noticed a dress shop, she smiled knowing Mimi would be in there.

She walked in and sure enough, there was Mimi showing off a dress to a half asleep O' Chunks, she smiled lightly and walked over to them.

"Eh? Is that Nastasia?" O'Chunks said sitting up.

"Huh?" Mimi said turning around. "Nassy!" She said running over to her hugging her. Nastasia chuckled

"I changed my mind, thought it be nice to spend time with you guys again." She said.

O' Chunks walked over smiling

"Glad to see ya again, Nastasia, starting to think ya split town, you never come around town during the day."

"Well, I've been going through stuff recently."

"About da' Count?" O' Chunks asked.

Mimi slapped him to shut up, But Nastasia sighed and knelt her head down slightly.

"Oh, Nas, sorry bout that. I didn't mean to upset ya'."

Nastasia looked back up at her friends and smiled

"No, it's ok O'Chunks, let's just have a good day, K?" She said happily.

"Really? Than what we be doing here? Let's show ya 'round the plaza."

"Actually." Nastasia said looking around. "I think it's time I change my outfit."

"Aye?" O' Chunks said worried.

"Yeah. I need a new look, think you could help me find the right thing Mimi?"

Mimi smiled, "Really? That be awesome."

"Uhh, actually, I think we should…."

"Come on, let's get started." Mimi said running off, Nastasia walked after her.

O'Chunks slouched back into the chair

"Ayeeee"

Mimi and Nastasia started to search through clothes

"I want something subtle, not a major change." Nastasia said.

"Really? I thought it be nice to change your whole appearance."

Nastasia looked up at Mimi slightly surprised.

"Mimi." She chuckled. "I just want some new clothes, not a new look." She said.

"Awww, I wanted to have a makeover." Mimi said. "Phooey." She wined.

Nastasia chuckled and went back to searching, when she stopped at a fluffy purple vest, similar to her white one, but slicker and sharper.

"Ooh." She said pulling it out. "How about this?" She asked showing it to Mimi.

"Cute." She said excited. "Looks you enough, try it on."

Nastasia walked over to the changing room, and after only a minute, she walked back out and over to her friends.

"What do you think?"

Mimi squealed covering her mouth, O' Chunks eyes widened; he whistled

"Ha HA! Hello Nassy." He yelled. "ya look great."

"It really suits you well."

And it did, The purple vest wrapped somewhat tight around the little women's frame, but the sleek shape slimmed her down slightly, the color matching her dark blue skin and Pink hair well, the purple was so dark it almost looked a dark magenta.

"Well I like it." Nastasia said checking herself in the mirror. "I'll look great sorting papers in these." She said. "Just hope I can get coffee stains off it." She said giggling.

Mimi smiled; she was happy to see her friend actually smile and laugh for once, and seem like she's having a good time.

Nastasia paid for the vest and they left.

"So…what's next on the age…I mean, what's next?" She asked correcting herself.

"Thought we'd get something to eat." Mimi said.

"That sounds good." Nastasia said. "What's good around here?"

"Come on, I know a place." Mimi said.

The three walked off

The rest of the day, Nastasia, Mimi, and O'Chunks went around the Plaza, checking out shops and just having a good time. Mimi and O' Chunks both noticed Nastasia's smile, it was a rare sight. When they worked for the Count, Nastasia was strictly business when in public, and she always had an expressionless face, just a blank look, seeing her smile for once made the two relieved that she could actually have a good day without The Count, but something was still going around in Mimi's head.

"Will she still visit the Heart Pillars each night? Or will she move on?" Every time she thought of that though, something else usually caught her attention (Shoes, Boys, Jewelry) before she could really think about this hard.

Later around night time, O'Chunks and Mimi were walking Nastasia home.

"Thanks for a great day guys, I was just going to sleep in all day, happy I could loosen up."

"Anytime dear las, you deserve to 'ave some fun." O' Chunks said.

"And hopefully we can have more fun tomorrow." Mimi squeaked.

Nastasia was about to reply, when a big yawn left her mouth.

"Man….what a day….I'm beat." The Blue girl said. "I think I got it form here guys, thanks, K?"

"You be welcome Nastasia, be seine' ya tomorrow." O' Chunks said.

Mimi was about to leave, when she noticed Nastasia pull something out of her coat, a rose.

"What are you doing with that Rose Nassy?"

Nastasia gasped and turned around; putting the rose behind her back

"What rose?" She asked quickly.

"The one behind your back." Mimi said pointing at Nastasia's hidden arm.

"Oh, I…uhhh." Nastasia mumbled.

Mimi knew Nastasia was a bad liar, she could never think of anything fast enough.

"Listen Nasy." She said sighing. "I saw you visit the Heart Pillar last night."

Nastasia's jaw dropped and she blushed

"Oh…..y-y-you saw me?" She asked pulling out the Rose.

"Why didn't you talk to us about it?" She asked. "We know what your going through."

"Do you?" She said looking up. "You didn't know how the Count affected me." She said. "He…he…gave my life meaning." She said, a tear running down her eye.

Mimi squeaked. "Don't Cry, Nassy." She said putting her hand on Nastasia's shoulder. "We loved the Count too."

"Not like i did." Nastasia said. "I've tried to move on but…I just can't." She said more tears going down her face.

"Oh Nassy." She said hugging her friend.

"I'm…Sorry." Nastasia said.

"Just let it out Nassy, you don't need to be brave for me."

Nastasia then began to Bawl onto Mimi's shoulder; her tears soaking onto Mimi's shirt strap.

"I'm so sorry Mimi!" She cried. "I just miss him so much!"

Mimi tried to comfort her.

"I miss County too. But we have to move on. The Count wouldn't want you to be so upset over him."

"I know but…..but, how can I be happy over losing the man I…I…"

"You don't need to say it if you don't want to." Mimi said.

Nastasia let go of Mimi and wiped her eyes.

"Do you want me to visit the Pillar with you?" She asked.

Nastasia shook her head yes silently.

"Ok." She said.

They soon arrived at the nearest heart pillar, Nastasia put the rose down

"Do you really think he can hear us Nassy?" Mimi asked.

"I don't know." Nastasia said. "But I sure hope so, I come here every night and talk to him, imagining what he'd say back."

There was a pause, then Mimi broke the silence with another question.

"Do you think…we'll ever see him again?"

Nastasia looked over into the innocent face of her young green friend and said "I'd give anything to see him again." She said.

"But until that day comes." She said. "I promise I'll live my life, as happy as it can be…with some help from you." She said.

Mimi squeaked. "Yay Nassy! Good for you. O'Chunks and I will help you have the best life ever!" She said jumping up and down.

Nastasia turned back to the heart pillar and smiled. "I promise Count…things will change for the better."

And out of the silence came a faint, yet familiar voice

"I know you will."

Nastasia and Mimi gasped, then turned to each other.

"Did you hear that?" Nastasia asked quickly to Mimi.

"I did, was that?" Mimi said in disbelief.

The two turned back to the heart pillar in awe, was that voice the voice they thought it was? Was it The Count?

Out of all this amazement, Nastasia stared at the Heart Pillar, and smiled, a single small tear going down her eye.

"Thank you Count…Thank you." She said softly.


End file.
